Feminist Perspective in Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Abstract

 This study examines the feminist dimensions of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë through the application of contemporary feminist literary criticism. Situating the novel within the socio-cultural framework of Victorian patriarchy, the paper analyses how gender roles, class structures, and moral ideologies shape the construction of female identity and agency. Particular attention is given to Jane’s development as a proto-feminist protagonist whose insistence on autonomy, equality, and self-respect challenges dominant norms governing women’s lives. The study further explores the role of narrative voice in articulating female subjectivity, as well as the intersections between gender and economic independence that underpin Jane’s resistance to subordination. In addition, the representation of Bertha Mason is examined as a critical site of female oppression, extending the analysis to include postcolonial feminist concerns regarding race and marginalisation. By engaging with contemporary scholarly debates, the paper highlights the tensions between feminist and anti-feminist interpretations of the text, particularly in relation to its resolution in marriage. The findings suggest that the novel operates as a complex and contested feminist text, simultaneously advancing and limiting the possibilities of female emancipation within its historical context.